Oahu pet owners could soon face substantially elevated financial penalties and potential time behind bars if they fail to control their animals, following recent legislative action by the Honolulu City Council. City lawmakers voted unanimously to approve a third-reading committee draft of Bill 16, a measure aimed at curtailing the number of stray and loose dogs across the island by establishing tougher consequences for negligent owners.
The legislation was formally introduced in January by Council member Val Okimoto and now awaits action from Mayor Rick Blangiardi. City records indicate that the mayor has until Sept. 24 to decide whether to sign the measure into law or issue a veto, as the island community closely watches the outcome of the proposed policy shift.
The passage of Bill 16 comes amid growing public concern across Oahu regarding uncontrolled animals and whether the municipality’s existing enforcement framework provides an adequate deterrent against potential attacks. Residents and animal advocates have voiced frustration over recurring encounters with unrestrained dogs in public spaces, prompting calls for more robust accountability measures.
The urgency surrounding the issue was underscored in written testimony submitted to the Council by Stephanie Hilton, a Honolulu resident and service-dog handler. Hilton recounted a traumatic encounter on Aug. 23, when she and her service animal were confronted and attacked by a pack of three or four unleashed, medium-to-large dogs while camping at an undisclosed site on Oahu.
During the encounter, Hilton attempted to protect her companion by raising her service dog above her head. One of the roaming dogs managed to clamp onto the service animal’s leg before Hilton was able to maneuver the animal free, though the aggressive dog continued leaping and attempting to bite. While Hilton successfully shielded her service animal from severe physical harm, she sustained puncture wounds to both of her legs that necessitated emergency medical care at Tripler Army Medical Center.
Hilton informed lawmakers that the animals belonged to a nearby homeless individual who acknowledged ownership and admitted he lacked the appropriate equipment to properly restrain his animals. In her testimony, Hilton observed that penalizing pet owners only after an incident occurs fails to address the underlying challenges, emphasizing that statutes alone cannot safeguard the public without adequate handling equipment, education, resources, and proactive intervention before severe injuries occur.
To address enforcement shortfalls, Bill 16 significantly overhauls the criminal penalty structure under city ordinances. For an initial offense where the owner has had no prior infractions within the preceding two-year window, the baseline criminal fine will climb from the current $50 up to $250.
Repeat infractions will trigger even steeper penalties under the revised code. A second criminal violation occurring within a two-year timeframe will carry a $500 fine, up from the current $100 penalty. For a third or subsequent violation within that same two-year span, the fine escalates to $1,000, and judges will have the discretion to impose a jail sentence of up to 30 days, or apply both penalties simultaneously.
The legislation also establishes a clear legal standard regarding an owner's duty of care, explicitly making it an unlawful act to allow a dog to become a stray or to fail to take reasonable preventative steps to stop an animal from roaming free.
In addition to escalating criminal penalties, the measure establishes an entirely new administrative civil penalty framework. Under this system, civil violations will carry fines of $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense within two years, and $1,000 for two or more prior infractions involving the same provision within a two-year window.
Day-to-day civil enforcement will be managed through the city's designated animal-control contractor. Under the bill's provisions, the director of the city Department of Customer Services—or an alternative department head selected by the mayor—must embed explicit enforcement mandates within the city's contractor agreement and regularly assess the contractor's adherence to those standards.
Authorized animal-control officers will possess the authority to issue formal notices compelling noncompliant dog owners to bring their animals into alignment with local regulations. To ensure due process, owners cited under the civil system will be afforded an opportunity to attend an administrative hearing before any civil monetary penalties are finalized.
These newly authorized civil enforcement mechanisms will not take effect right away upon the bill's enactment. Implementation will be deferred until the Department of Customer Services drafts and officially adopts the formal administrative rules governing the citation and appeals process.
The measure also restructures how criminal citations are processed through the legal system. Rather than routing summonses through the city’s violations bureau, cited individuals will be required to appear directly before the District Court. Individuals who fail to respond to a court summons could face formal criminal complaints and the issuance of arrest warrants, with all collected fines being deposited directly into the city's general fund.
Bill 16 has garnered considerable backing from community animal welfare organizations, including the Hawaiian Humane Society. Proponents believe the dual approach of civil and criminal pathways provides a much-needed overhaul to existing stray-dog provisions under the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu.
Susan Collins of the Bird and Bee Hawaii Animal Sanctuary submitted testimony in support during the Council's Sept. 9 meeting, explaining that irresponsible owners whose pets continually escape due to lack of basic care currently face virtually no meaningful accountability. Collins highlighted that the civil citation process gives authorities an effective enforcement mechanism, preventing cases from being routinely dismissed within an overburdened criminal court docket while protecting the safety of both the public and roaming animals.
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